The all-new Kia Ceed family has become bigger with
the introduction of the first-ever XCeed. Billed as a compact crossover, it’s
based on the hatchback and looks like a jacked up version of it. The
vehicle sports longer front and rear overhangs, by 25 and 60 mm, it’s 26 mm wider and has an extra 42 mm of ground
clearance compared to the Ceed hatchback. At 2,650 mm long, the
wheelbase remains identical to the rest of the Ceed models.
The rest of the exterior has been beefed up with plastic cladding, a more arched roofline behind the B
pillars, different lighting units, restyled bumpers, updated grille and silver
roof rails. You can choose from 12 exterior colors including the new Quantum
Yellow that’s unique to the XCeed, and two wheel sizes: 16- and 18-inch.
The cabin layout has mostly been carried over from the
regular Ceed and features soft-touch materials, satin chrome trim and a range
of cloth, synthetic leather or genuine leather upholstery. Unique to the Xceed
is the new yellow color pack, with a black look all around contrasted by yellow
stitching and highlights. Assisting drivers are the 8.0-inch or optionally,
10.25-inch touchscreen displays, as well as a 12.3-inch digital instrument
cluster. Boot space has increased by 31 liters over the hatch, to
426 liters with all seats in place.
Powering the XCeed at launch will be three petrol
and two diesel engines. The lineup will include the 1.0-litree, 3-cylinder with
120 PS, 1.4-liter 4-cylinder with 140 PS and
the 204 PS 1.6-liter T-GDi found in the GT versions of the
Ceed and ProCeed. The oil burners are represented by the 1.6-liter
lump, offered in two outputs: 115 PS and 136 PS. All power units, except for the base gasoline, can be paired to a six-speed
manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Early next year,
the engine family will be completed by the 40V mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid
options.
The XCeed
is front-wheel drive. However, it has new hydraulic rebound stoppers and
softened springs front and rear, by 7 and 4 percent, respectively. According to
Kia, this, along with the new dynamic damper for the rear cross-member, has
enhanced cruising comfort. The steering hardware is carried over unchanged.
Kia’s XCeed is limited to the European market, where
it will go on sale in the third quarter of 2019. Production will kick off in
August at the Zilina factory, in Slovakia, where the Ceed Hatchback,
Sportswagon and ProCeed are also being made.
